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Monday, February 27, 2017

Are the Rules, Still the Rules?

Understanding language is no easy accomplishment. Some of the helpful tools we keep locked away aren't so useful anymore. For example, the I:E rule. This is taught as a blanket concept in most cases (I know it was taught this way to me), and it barely makes sense when we consider the amount of words that break the rule. As teachers, parents, or students, what other rules do you feel need to be revised or done away with completely?

12 comments:

My experience has shown me that multi-lingual people from other countries, who also speak English, say that the exceptions to the rules in the English language make it the hardest language to learn. I am not sure what these rules are, but ELL's could possibly shed some light on the subject. In a parallel subject, I would love to do away with using Imperial Standard Units in mathematics. The only other countries that use it are Liberia and Myanmar!

I have also heard from several people that English is the hardest language. I can definitely understand why and I think that hearing the most difficult concepts from ELL students. And I agree! Can we stop being stubborn as a country and just accept the metric system?

I am an English teacher and an ESL teacher myself. I think one of the most useless and less used tools in English grammar is the "past perfect progressive" form of words (Say that 10 times fast!). We native English speakers usually don't use it, and ELL's have no idea what it is.

I agree with you there. I had been trying to think of a good time to use the 'triple P' tense, but I just can't. (That felt wrong to type.) But seriously saying, "I tried to think of a good time..." is so much easier.c

As a microbiologist, I have forgotten many of my English rules. Scientific writing is very different from typical english. But one of the things that have always bothered me is having to rewrite a sentence so that it doesn't end in a preposition. Sometimes it just sounds right to end a sentence that way.

I do agree that sometimes it is easier to end your sentence with a preposition. While this is still taught in most English classes, it should be considered a guideline. This "rule," like many others, is really boiled down to a teacher's personal preference.

Maybe the problem with this rule is how it is taught. Can you think of a way to teach these (because I doubt they are going anywhere) that would make it a little easier to keep up with? I had an ELL student tell me that contractions and silent letters were the hardest parts of the English language.

Even though someone already said it, I agree with the contraction rule, but differently. We have them in our language but it is seen as unprofessional to use it in a paper. Even though it is somewhat helpful in speaking, it writing it becomes a problem.

I think it is a bit silly myself that contractions are considered unprofessional. Sometimes it's easier to use them. (AND on a personal side note, my level of seriousness can usually be found in my use or omission of contractions. When I text someone "I'm okay," I mean I'm genuinely okay. However; if I say "I am okay," there is definitely something not okay. Haha.)

I have forgotten a lot of English rules, but one rule that always got to me in writing would be the use of there is, there are, it is, etc. When I am talking I am used to saying, so when I write it is always used more than it should be.

There are so rules in language with exceptions. I agree that this can be so complicated. One of these rules for me would be that vowels are a,e,i,o,u, and sometimes y. I was originally taught that "Y" was not a vowel. My husband was taught that it is sometimes a vowel. After researching it, I found that it functions as a "semivowel". Who would have thought?!